Wheel-excavator.



vJ. c. FRENCH. WHEEL XCVATOR.

APPLICATIONLHLED MAH. 22, 1915-" A Patented F ab. 13, 1917,

2 SHEE' S-SHEET l.

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- 1. c. FRENCH.

WHEEL ExcAvAToR.

Patented leb. 13, 1917.

APPLlcmoN'rILEu 14111.22, Isls 2 sus; Vs-suzzfz.

1., $71111 |11" IWI" i@ 111ml) hrt vUNITED sTATFs PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. FRENCH, OF KENOSHA,

WISCONSIN, AssIGNOn. To FEEDER ICK c. AUSTIN, or; CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL-EXCAVATOR.

Application ledMarch 22, 1915.

.kind'in which a series of digging buckets are mounted on a rotary ringor spokeless wheeland thereby arranged to cut a trench or ditch as themachine moves slowlyforward. f

The principal object of my invention is to provide an excavator of thisgeneral character in which the buckets are provided with pivoted rearend gates, and in which the said gates are held in closed position bylatches or locking devices suitably mounted I on the said ring or wheel,the sald devices being` automatically operated to open the gates whenthe buckets arrive at the point of discharge.

It is also an object to provide certain detailsand features ofconstructionand combinations tending to increase the general etliciencyand desirability of an excavator of this `particular character. i

To` these and other useful ends my invention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a sideelevation of that portionof the eX-` cavator to which my invention relates, showing a rotary ringor spokeless wheel having digging buckets embodyingthe principles of myinvention, and showing the same `in operating position. p

Fig. 2 1s an enlarged detail section on line 2 2 in Fig. I.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view. of the upper portion of the structureshown in Fig..

1, showing the cleaners for scraping the contents from the buckets. I

Fig.I 4 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the said buckets,showing the pivoted` gate thereof in section and in. closed position in`iull lines, andy showing said gate open l in dotted lines.

As` thusv illustrated,A my f invention comprises a frame A ofanysuitable character adapted to support the rotaryfringi orspokeless wheelB- therein, being provided with` rollers b, which engage-th@ inner Edge.f ith@ Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentodFeb. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 16,304.

ring for this purpose. Said ring is preferably composed of two outerangle iron sections C, as shown in Fig. 2, and an inner T- iron sectionD' which is provided with gear teeth d at each side of the inneredgethereof. The rollersbare ianged 5o receive the inner edge of thesection D, the teeth d being iush with said edge to prevent theirenlg'agement with said ro 1ers, whereby the ring will rotate smoothlythereon about a horizontal axis extending below the frame.

The driving shaft E is siitably `mounted in bearings on the frame ILand'is provided withy a double pinion F having two rows of teeth f which`are spar ed apart-to engage the teeth el on the ring. With thisformation, mud and dirt betv een the teeth' al is easily pushedout bythe teeth fduring: the

angle iron sections C, bein-g arran ed tov throw the dirt outward andupon t e laterally projecting spouts o r sloping `boards H at ioppositesides 'of f the. vs heel.;

- T-hebuckets I are rigidly secured by their central walls z' betweenlhe angle iron'sections C, as shown in Fig. 2, and are disposed at theintervals around the perimeter of the wheel. Each bucket is op en atitssides, and to prevent the dirt from fallingout while the buckets areascending from the ground a guard or housing J isarranged on the frame'A in position to :nclose thev buckets while they are passing fromtheground to the point `of discharge It the top n of the wheel. The `rearend `of cach bucket is provided with a swinging gate Kpivotedat lc (l tothe heel of the bucket, each gate being slotted at L to receive tl eflange composed of the ,outer webs of the angle ironsections C of thesaid ring or spok eless wheel. At the end of this slot L innei andouterlugs Z are provided. A latchor locking device M is l-pivotedl at m,between -tl Le said outer flanges of the wheel, immediately behind thebucket,- and-ing-,position to pass through; the.:slot -L and engage thetwo lugs Z when thelgates swing shut. Each catch c r locking deviceMsprovidedwitha laterally projectingzlug 119 eri N which engages asuitable portion or means on one of the cleaners G, thereby causing thelatch M to tilt into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thusunlocking the gate. A stop O on the wheel limits this tilting movementof the latch M, and each latch or locking device remains in thisposition until the gate of its allotted bucket slams shut while movingdownward after discharging its load. This closing movement of the gate Kcauses the inner lug l to strike the latch M in a manner which causesthe latter' to swing into locking position, thus bringing the outer hookP of the latch into position to engage the outer lug Z, and therebylocking the gate in ,closed position to hold the next load againstfalling out until the bucket again reaches the dumping position. In thisway, and while the buckets are traveling through the ground, the pivotedgates K are positively locked in closed position. The cleaners G areshaped to scrape the inner surfaces of the buckets, as they pass throughthe buckets, and are provided with means to automatically unlock thesaid pivoted gates. This permits the two cleaners to pass out of therear ends of the gates, by relative movement between the buc ets andcleaners, it being understood that the said cleaners stand still. whilethe buckets are moving forward. The practical effect, however, iscorrectly described by stating that the cleaners pass through thebuckets to scrape out the dirt,l this being particularly necessary anddesirable when the machine is working in clay or other sticky soil.

Any suitable means can be employed for supporting the frame A, as bymounting the sprocket shaft Qv on the rear end of the body frame of themachine. Also, any suitable means can be employed for swinging the frameA upward to bring the ring or wheel above ground. In addition, it willbe understood that any other devices or auxiliaries known to the art,and commonly employed in conjunction with a rotary ring or spokelesswheel excavator of this kind, can be employed if necessary or desirable.

What I claim ,as my invention is:

1. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate yat the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, and stationary means for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, said instrumentalities including arotating ring, said element being pivoted onsaid ring, said gate beingformed With a slot to receive said ring, and said slot having its innerend provided with means to interlock with said element.

2. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate at the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, and stationary means' for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, said element being in the form of apivoted catch having a lug for engaging said means, and saidinstrumentalities including a ring having walls spaced apart to'accommodate said catch between them.

3. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate at the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, forming a stop to limit the closingmovement of the gate, and stationary means for operating said element tounlock the gate, said element being pivoted between its ends to tiltabout a horizontal axis, both ends of said element being shaped toengage said gate, and the .hinge for said gate being at the heel of thebucket.

4. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hingedv gate at the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, and stationary means for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, said bucket having a central verticalwall, and said element being pivoted directly behind said wall.

5. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate at the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, and stationary means for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, a pair of cleaners disposed in positionto pass through the bucket, and said element being pivoted in positionto pass between said cleaners.

6. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate at the rear end thereof, anelement for holding the gate closed, and stationary means for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, said instrumentalities including arotating ring, said element being pivoted on said ring, said gate beingformed with a slot to receive said ring, and said slot having its innerend provided with means to interlock with said element, a cleanerdisposed in position to pass through said bucket, the hinge for saidgate being at the heel of the bucket.

7. An excavator comprising a digging bucket, instrumentalities foroperating said bucket, and means for causing the bucket to dump itsload, said bucket having a hinged gate at the rear end thereof, anelenient for holding the gate Closed, and stationary means for operatingsaid element to unlock the gate, said element being in the :lorln of' apivoted catch having a lug for engaging said means, and saidinstrumentalities including a ring having 'walls spaced apart toaccommodate said catch between them, said, bucket having a poitionsecured Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

between said Walls, and a pair of cleaners disposed in position to passthrough the bucket at opposite Sides cf said ring.

Signed by ine at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of March, 1915.

JAMB S C. FRENCH. YVitnesses RACHEL J. RIGHAi DsoN, ROSE E. SEHNEM.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

